5 Questions with Beth Cochrane

1. Tell us about your connection to Wigtown and the Book Festival

I’ve just started an internship as the Events Assistant for Wigtown Book Festival, so moved down here from Edinburgh a few days ago. I’d been here once previously, so knew I liked the town already.

2. What made you apply for an internship? 

I just completed a Masters course in Creative Writing, so this seemed like a good step in the right direction. The breadth of the programme really attracted my attention to this festival specifically; there’s a huge range of authors and activities for people of all ages.

3. What are you looking forward to most during the festival? 

The two events which come to mind are the ceilidh and Jenny Brown’s Big Pitch. The ceilidh is going to be a great way to wrap up the Festival, and Jenny Brown’s event looks like a great insight into the industry. Aside from this, though, I’m really looking forward to the general Festival atmosphere, which I’m told can be quite manic but loads of fun.

4. Who would be your dream author to appear at the Festival?

 A difficult question… The Brothers Grimm, probably. Still living… Maybe Neil Gaiman or Ben Okri. But I’m pretty pleased with Janice Galloway as it is, I really enjoy her writing.  

5. What's your first impression of Wigtown? 

Coming from Edinburgh I can’t help but notice how quiet it is here. It’s very friendly (people say hello in the streets!) which is lovely. There seems to be some nice cafes in the area too, which I’m looking forward to checking out when I have the chance. One thing I really can’t believe is the amount of bookshops; it’s a real bookshop haven.